The Problem With Invisible Mutations
by pinkypiepinkwriter
Summary: "Or is it only with the pretty mutations, or invisible ones like yours? But if you're a freak, you better hide." Raven never really realized how poetically unjust her statement was. When your mutation is being invisible, aren't you already hiding? And how does that make you any less of a freak? Eventual Erik X OC.
1. Chapter 1 Opscuratio Part 1

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I don't own the X-men Franchise or Charles. I am merely borrowing them for this story.

Warning! There is a bit of strong language in this chapter. (Just a bit.)

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"Child! Stand with your back straight. Bad posture is unattractive!" A small girl, who looked to be no older than nine immediately straightened her posture as the words left the woman's mouth. "Yes Mother. I am most sorry," she mumbled looking downcast at her feet.

"Hmph. Next time, I will not provide you with a warning." The girl nodded and kept her eyes averted from the woman's menacing glare.

Seemingly satisfied with herself, the woman walked away, leaving the girl alone. Now that her mother had left, some of the girl's confidence returned to her. She looked upward, gazing at the vast amount of people packed into her family's private gardens. It was truly a momentous occasion. The girl's older brother had told her that the queen herself would be in attendance. The girl had been looking for the queen all morning, but had yet to spot her. Mother is probably keeping her away from me, the girl thought to herself sadly. She doesn't want the queen to know we have a freak in the family. Matter of factly, it seemed as though her mother didn't want anyone else to know either. The girl had been instructed to stay in the corner for the duration of the event and answer any questions directed to her with short, curt responses. It's for the best, she told herself. Who knows what they'll do to us if someone finds out about me. Mother would never ever forgive me.

The girl walked over to a nearby bench and gracefully sat down making, sure to cross her hands in her lap.

"Josephine!" Came a voice to the left of her. "Why do you look so sad? It's like we're a funeral or something." The girl bit back a smile.

"Brother, we are at a funeral. Father's funeral to be exact."

"So what? I bet the old cod wouldn't want anyone mourning over his death anyway. He'd probably want a hunting expedition commemorating his life or something of the like." "You shouldn't speak of anyone, let alone father, like that. Lucas, you know better!"

Josephine shook her head. "Not better than you sister," the man replied with a smile. "Now let's say we go enjoy this funeral for all its worth, before the grand shebang is over, huh?"

"I cannot. Mother has forbidden me to leave this spot. She will not be happy if I do so."

"C'mon sis, where's the fun in that?"

That's the point, thought Josephine. Freaks aren't supposed to have fun. "Sorry brother, but you know I can't. Do you wish to land me in trouble?" She sincerely hoped that adding a playful note to the end of her response would get the eldest of her siblings to leave her be. She appreciated his efforts, but they always seemed to land her in trouble with her mother.

"You can't honestly tell me you're content with Mandy feigning extreme pain over dear father's loss. You should see everyone canoodling her. All the old birds are singing her praises. The worst part is though, that she loves it. The bitch really fu-"

"Brother! Such language is not acceptable for a family of our stature. You **know** better. Seriously! If mother had heard you!"

The man shook his head. "Little Saint Josephine," he muttered lovingly under his breath.

"I heard that!"

"Of course you did. Now come enjoy this funeral. The old cod would have wanted you to." He held out his hand expectantly to his sister.

"Fine," she replied smiling and unable to resist her brother's entreaties any longer.

As they began to walk toward the crowd, she halted abruptly. "Lucas?" She asked timidly. The man was shocked to hear her use his name so intimately (she rarely ever did unless she was scolding him). "What will we say to mother, if she sees me?"

"She won't, I promise. On the event that she does however, I'll tell her you had to take a shit and I was just directing you to the nearest washroom."

"She would never buy that. I've lived in the manor my entire life. By now, I should at least know where the washrooms are."

"You could always say you forgot. Nobody's perfect, Jo."

I most certainly am not, she thought. There's no way anyone like me could ever be considered per-

"Jojo! Lukie! You're here! Lets take a picture, shall we? Oh, it'll be the most darling thing! All the Princeton children in one photograph!" The man fought not to role his eyes at his sister. She was barely eleven years of age and she already acted like one of those brainless ninnies who went parading around London, searching for lonely soldiers to flirt with. He much preferred the company of his youngest sibling. She would be the only family member he'd miss back home after he left for the royal army. So far, he'd met no woman in all of London who could even hold a candle to his beloved sister, both in beauty and temperament.

"C'mon then, all together," called the photographer. "Big smiles, big smiles." The girl called Mandy pushed herself between her siblings and flashed her shining white teeth.

Her younger sister protested vehemently. "No, mother will see me. I can't be in the picture!"

"Oh Josephine, don't be such a spoilsport. It's just one teensy photograph. Mummy won't mind at all." Josephine's protests only grew louder.

"Jo, it's a photograph, it'll be fine. Why are you so worried? Mother won't even see it." The man also wanted a memento to remember his siblings by. She began to plead with her siblings, but they refused to listen.

"Alright," said the photographer getting into place. "Big smiles." Just as the camera was about to go off, Josephine gave a blood curdling scream. A bright light flashed. The picture had been taken.

"See," said the man turning to his sister. That wasn't so-" Lucas Prineton would have finished his sentence, if it wasn't fit the sight that greeted him (or rather lack thereof) where his sister had stood. "She's gone," he said whipping around quickly to search for his youngest of kin. "She was here a second ago. I swear it!"

The people in the gardens who had also witnessed the event began talking.

_"Did you see that girl?" "_

_Was she there before?" _

_"It's like she just vanished into thin air." "_

_I always knew there was some fishy about those Princetons."_

Abruptly, Josephine appeared in the spot she had been in, leaving everyone within a ten mile radius utterly speechless.

Finally one bystander recovered their voice long enough to exclaim, "She didn't run away, she really did disappear into thin air!" This caused an uproar among the funeral guests. People began arguing, fighting, and even leaning toward violent notions. The commotion had everyone distracted. Mandy still stared open mouthed at her sister, forgetting the state of her "prized" photograph and Lucas was busy arguing with one of his old schoolmates.

In fact, he was so busy he didn't even see his mother walk over and motion for Josephine to follow her. Josephine cast one last forlorn at him, realizing her brother would be of no help. She should have never listened to him, but then again the fault was her own. She should have really never listened to him.


	2. Chapter 2 Opscuratio Part 2

Any thoughts on Chapter 1? All reviews are most welcome! This is my second story, so I'm still trying to get the handle on things. Also, Charles makes an appearance in this chapter.

On another notes, if you are going to be reading this story, I must warn you, I am not a frequent updater. Just be aware.

Without further ado,Enjoy!

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The girl quietly followed her mother away from the crowd and deep into the large manor. The bystanders were so busy discussing what had just happened, they failed to realize the subject of their discussions had vanished, yet again.

By the time the man or any of the others would notice her sudden disappearance, it would be too late. Mother will probably never let me go outside again she thought sadly. No more parties, no more balls, and no more funerals. All because of one "teensy" photograph.

"Get over here," her mother almost spat. "What did I tell you about leaving the Magnolia planters?"

"That I should remain there for the duration if this event."

"And what was it exactly, that you did?"

Josephine sighed. There was no point in telling her it was Lucas (not that she would expose her brother's ploy in the first place); mother would never blame one of her _normal _children for anything. It was always Josephine's fault, no matter what.

"You have disobeyed me and the memory of your father. You have defiled the day on which we were to lay him to rest. You have proved to all those people that you are a **freak**!"

"Mother, I'm sor-"Her apologies were cut short as a well manicured hand made contact with her face, hard.

"I'm tired of your excuses. You always had them. You may have been able to fool your imbecile of a father, but there's no way you could **ever **fool me."

Josephine, still shocked from the impact stared up at her mother, shaking slightly. The side of her cheek that was hit had begun to turn an ugly shade of red.

"I'm truly shocked. Have you nothing to say, dearest Josephine? No excuses now, huh?" whispered the woman mockingly. "You are the reason this family has been under so much scrutiny as of late. The Princeton freak, that's what they're calling you."

Josephine stayed silent and bit back tears; she had promised herself she wouldn't cry.

"If you had never been born, my life would have truly been perfect. I had two lovely children and a husband and then, _you _came along and stole the hearts of both Lucas and Richard. Now, now that Richard's gone, I can make my life perfect again. No longer will I put up with a freak for a daughter. In fact, doing away with you will be a service to the world."

Her wet eyes widened at the statement. Was her mother going to kill her? What else could "doing away" possibly mean? Her suspicions were confirmed as her mother opened the drawer to a nearby desk and removed a shiny knife with an impeccably sharp edge. She quietly contemplated whether or not screaming would be worth the energy; her mother had taken her far into a secluded area of the manor, far away from the funeral guests. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. If her mother couldn't see her, there was no way she could kill her. Her only hope for survival was well...disappearing. She could hear the material on her mother's sleeve brush against her waist as the woman undoubtedly raised the knife. She prayed as hard as she could, begging the higher power to let her use her "ability."

All of a sudden, she heard a gasp and what sounded like the knife clattered to the floor. Squinting up at her mother, she saw the apparent look of shock on the woman's face.

"W-what did you do? The kn-knife it went right through you, but you're still alive!"

Josephine was more than shocked, her prim and proper mother, who never stammered, had just done so. Her mother's shock startled her more than the fact that she had not disappeared, but that the knife simply passed right through her body. Without giving the matter a second thought, she picked herself off the marble floor and ran for the nearest exit. She had to get out of the manor. However, if she had stopped to examine her _almost_ murder weapon, she might have been surprised to see that there was not a drop of blood on it, especially since it had went right through her head.

A matter of miles away, a young Charles Xavier was puzzling through the events that had just happened. His blended family was attending the funeral of a GOC. Richard Princeton at the home of his wife, who had a seemingly unimportant relation to the queen. Apparently the two were old friends of his mother. She had thought that Richard was nice enough, but his wife...she was another story. Charles couldn't say for sure, he had never met the pair. He chose to take his mother's thoughts as the truth. That, was not the matter pressing his mind at present though.

He was more interested in what the general's daughter had just done. It had caused quite a conundrum among the funeral guests. No one could seem to agree on what had actually happened. On top of that, they couldn't figure out where the girl had gone currently. Charles knew, he had seen her mother pull her away from the scene just about two minutes after she reappeared. He thought it would be rude to read the mind of the woman, or that of her daughter, but desperately wanted to know where the pair was going. Charles had seen her disappear with his own two eyes. He was sure of what happened. That girl was different. That girl was like him.

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This chapter was a little short. Sorry about that.

What did you think? After all, I'm not a telepath. Once again, all feedback is MUCH appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3 Fictus Mortem

Greetings all! A massive thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review! To clear up any initial confusion, here are the main character's ages:

Charles: 20, Joanna:18, Raven: 16, Lucas: 29, and Amanda: 20.

Also to clear up any confusion and as a mild precursor, I promise that this story will NOT turn into a Raven x Lucas fiction and that Charles x Amanda will stay 100% as Cannon dictates it, after this chapter. I know how annoying some stories can get when every single character finds love with a OC and everything is rainbows, sparkles, and sunshine.

Anyways, Enjoy!

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**9 Years Later**

Rain poured down unforgivingly on a small pack of bystanders. A camera crew stood under the shelter of the large manor. Everyone was dressed in black. Black suits, black dresses, and even black umbrellas. The Lawley Estate looked almost as if a solar eclipse was taking place on its ivory grounds.

At the head of the pack stood a priest. He stated choice words over a polished, cherry color coffin. Behind him stood a tall woman with greying hair. She was drying her eyes with a monogrammed handkerchief, but no tears seemed to fall from her face. Still behind her, stood a man and a young woman. The man had his arm around the woman and his face was red, as if he had been crying. The woman on the other hand, had on a tranquil, almost bemused expression. She looked as if she was enjoying the occasion, like it was all one big joke. At the rear of the group stood none other than Charles Xavier. His expression mirrored that of the woman's.

When the priest had finished his blessing, the coffin was slowly lowered down into the depths of the earth. The entourage of about forty people gathered 'round to bid the deceased farewell. Once the coffin had reached its descent, as cascade of white rose petals fell on top of it, in perfect unison. That's how things were in the Princeton Family, perfect (at least on the outside). Mats were then placed over the grave and the guests were told to come inside and seek relief from the torrential downpour. Within a matter of minutes, the private cemetery was deserted.

Inside the manor, a reporter had walked up to the woman with greying hair and began interview her. Charles and the young woman instantly locked eyes and headed toward the pair. "Amanda," said Charles. "Fancy seeing you here."

"I could say the same for you and _please _call me Amy. Everyone does so now."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied, flashing her one of his infamous smilies.

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"I wouldn't know, _Amy. _I came over here to find out.

"_And not to see me?"_

"That too, but I am fairly interested in what your mother is telling that reporter."

"Come. We'll get a much better hearing scope from the bar." Amanda held out her slim hand tantalizingly. Never one to say no to the entreaties of a beautiful woman, Charles smirked and followed her.

A few metres away, the man from before watched Charles and Amanda through bloodshot eyes. He had previously been observing his mother, Jacquelyn Princeton, nee Lawley, converse with a reporter as well, but decided that his younger sister's affairs were more intriguing. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn't cry, and had no intention of breaking his personal vow. Dwelling on the death of his younger sister, the epitome of his depression, was certainly not going to help. Just as he thought he would need to find another distraction, an new one presented itself in the form of Charles' younger sister.

"Look at them, she's barely been pronounced dead for two days and Amanda's already over it."

Lucas Princeton smiled. Raven had a generally positive outlook on life, so a friendly conversation with her could be just what he needed. "Frankly I'm surprised the two of them didn't hit if off sooner. With Amanda's track record and all." "

Well, they do have incredible chemistry," stated Raven with a smile.

Lucas returned one then glanced away. Chemistry had been one of **her** favorite subjects. Getting through this would be a lot harder than he thought, even with Raven's help.

Raven sighed. She didn't want to head their conversation in such a direction, but it was obvious that it was already going that way. "How are you holding up?" she finally managed to ask.

"How am I holding up? My angelic younger sister just died. How am I supposed to be holding up? No warning, nothing. I never even knew she was sick."

It took all the self-control Raven possessed to hold back the truth. Josephine was a lot of things, but sick and dead weren't some of them.

"Death by boarding school, huh? What a horrible way to go." She did her best to lighten the rapidly tensing mood. "I always knew St. Geroge's was a dry school, but I never thought it could kill someone." Raven stared at Lucas. Her plan wasn't working. "It's what she would have wanted, you know. For you to be happy."

"Probably. She was never happy until everyone around her was. She was just...that great of a person."

Lucas immediately cradled his head in his hands, as droplets of water fell onto his lap. Raven put a comforting hand on his back as she gazed at Charles and "Amy." They were going to have to work on their acting skills, they wanted to convince anyone, _other than Lucas_, that Josephine had died. He was the only one who looked genuinely depressed. All the other attendees looked...confused. As for Josephine's mom, she really didn't even look sad. It was rather obvious that whatever emotions she was display were, for lack of a better word fake. Raven let loose another sigh, she really hoped they hadn't botched the entire thing up.

Once Charles was able to get away from "Amy", he headed back toward the cemetery purposefully. Upon first glance, the large area seemed to be completely vacated. Charles stood from the doorway, looking out for a couple of seconds more. Out of nowhere, a woman, completely drenched with rain water, appeared near the freshly laid grave. Charles' lips twitched upward and he headed toward her.

"You know, you could scare someone half to death, being a ghost and all."

The woman whipped around quickly. "Charles," she murmured quietly sounding relieved. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine," he interjected. "As far as I'm concerned one has every right to be present at one's own funeral."

"Hm. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over how strange that sounds. _I'm at my funeral._"

"Well, how many people do you know that fake their own death's, Josephine?"

"No."

"No?"

"Charles, it isn't Josephine anymore. Josephine just died from an acute case of tuberculosis."

"Have you thought of another name for yourself then?"

"Yes, I'm Joanna, Joanna Burke."

"Odd choice, but I think it rather suits you. Are you ready to leave? Raven has been hard at work preparing your room and I think she's becoming rather impatient to show it to you."

"I just want to be out here for a couple more minutes. I'll join you shortly."

Charles nodded and headed back inside.

"Joanna" vanished from sight again, but she still remained by her grave. Kneeling down she gazed at the two tombstones laying in front of her, both made of exquisite marble. One had the name Josephine Princeton and the years of her life on it. It also read "_Beloved daughter, sister, and friend."_ She laughed.

The other stone had Joanna Burke printed on it as well as the years of her life. It said nothing else. Her mother had deemed it a mistake, and a hideous one at that, (she had been furious the engraver had completely misinterpreted her daughter's name) but Joanna was rather sure it was correct. The stone was to be broken into pieces and sent back from whatever shop it was purchased from. No one would ever guess, that Joanna was Josephine. A mistaken name for a mistaken child; rather fitting, now that she thought about it. Turning her gaze toward the manor, she gave it one last look.

"I hope you're happy, Mother. Your life is perfect now. Your freak of a daughter won't be bothering you anymore. She's dead, gone forever," Joanna whispered.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to read! I'm always looking for ways to improve my story, so if there's anything you'd like to see more of at this pint, feel free to let me know. Adieu!


	4. Chapter 4 Graduatio Part 1

Hey all! I'm sorry if the last chapter was confusing, but I sincerely hope this one is not. This happens about **four years after the last chapter. **

After I pass the fifth chapter, I won't be updating so frequently (just wanted to give a brief heads up). But, stay positive because Erik and the other mutants will be making their appearances soon.

As always, enjoy!

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Joanna stood up a clapped along with the myriad of people in the hall. Both she and Raven wore large smiles on their faces. It was a truly momentous occasion, but in a good way. Charles had just earned his doctorate. He was a now an Oxford Professor of genetics. Joanna couldn't have been prouder. Charles realized his dream and went for it, something she wasn't exactly sure she currently had the guts to do. In any matter, he had come along way since their days in boarding school. Electric blue-eyed and floppy haired Charles had just become Professor Xavier.

Raven soon got up and pulled Joanna with her. "We'd better catch up with him," she squealed happily. "We'll never be able to meet up in this crowd unless we hurry."

Joanna nodded and followed the blonde out of the halls large doors. As soon as they caught sight of Charles, Raven ran over and gave her brother a hug.

"I believe congratulations are in order, professor," stated Joanna jokingly.

"Ah, don't call me that. You don't get to be called a professor until you actually have a teaching position."

"But it, suits you nonetheless."

"Don't say that that, but do say let's go have a drink then."

Raven smiled. "Let's go have a drink."

Whilst at the bar, Raven and Joanna watched while Charles polished off the largest container of alcohol, Joanna had probably ever seen, in the entirety of her life. That wasn't surprising, considering that getting immeasurably drunk and forgetting which bar you were at, was never her idea of a good time. Charles and Raven however, were a completely different story. As soon as Charles was finished, the hoard of people crowding around them erupted into loud cheers, including Raven. Joanna just rolled her eyes. At least it's the day after his thesis, she thought, not the day prior.

Raven was now giving Charles another hug and telling him how proud she was. This brought a smile to Joanna's face. In her mind, Charles and Raven were the ideal pair of siblings. It didn't matter that they weren't really related; they were affectionate, caring, and still managed to get on each other's had the relationship she had always wanted with her own siblings, but that was rather hard to achieve, considering that her mother had been constantly trying to kill her off. The said pair of siblings walked back towards her.

"I need another drink," Charles exclaimed. Then looking at Raven, "And you need another curler."

Raven's face visibly fell at this. It was painfully obvious that Raven was tired of curlers, when Charles was a borderline alcoholic (in Joanna's opinion at least), but the remained completely oblivious to the fact. He simply stated that Raven was underage when she badgered him about it.

"Can I get you anything, love?"

His voice immediately broke Joanna's concentration on her analysis. She was about to politely decline, but cast another look at Raven and decided to join her quiet pity-party. "I'll have a curler as well." The blonde to her right, gave her a small smile.

With that Charles walked toward the liquor counter. The two women stood in silence for a while, until Raven spoke.

"Oh my god! Is that your sister?"

"Probably. She has the strangest tendency to show up wherever Charles is. Haven't you noticed?"

"Y-you're right! Dammit! I can't believe I didn't see that before! Do you think there's something going between them?"

"Yes and no. The only words I can think of to describe their relationship accurately would be...brief fling? _Please_ correct me if I said that wrong."

"Nope. You are absolutely right on this one, Jo."

They both laughed. Just as Charles made his way over to Amy, a woman with auburn hair stepped in between them. Normally, Joanna would have found the situation rather humorous, but as Charles and the woman stopped to sit down, it began it look as if it was serious.

"Raven, have you seen that woman before?"

"Which woman? There are like twenty-something in the bar."

"The one in the black jacket, over there talking to Charles."

"Oh, that one. Nope, never seen her before! Why does it matter? Charles talks to hundreds of women at bars."

"I'm not sure. She just seems...different."

"Like mutant different?"

"Not exactly. More like _government different_."

"Okay...wanna see what they're talking about?"

"Not really. I'm sure Charles will tell us eventually."

And that, Charles did. Soon enough he and the woman, walked over to where her and Raven were standing.

"So, where are the drinks?" Raven asked

. "I'm sorry Raven, but it appears our drinks will have to wait. Moira, this is my sister, Raven, and my good friend, Joanna."

"Nice to meet you both," the woman said.

Joanna nodded and shook her hand. Raven did the same.

"If you don't mind, I'll explain exactly where we're going on the way there." With that the four picked up whatever belongings they had brought with them and followed Moira out of the bar. This night had just gotten a lot more interesting.

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**So, any thoughts? I hope everyone was in character! **


	5. Chapter 5 Graduatio Part 2

This will probably be the last of my regular updates, so if you're are enjoying this story you may want to follow it. This is a good thing through, because Joanna, Charles, and Raven are on their way to finding other mutants (with the first being Erik, of course). Thanks again for everyone who took the time to read/review/follow/favorite! It means more than you can imagine (really, it does).

So please, enjoy!

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**"The advent of the nuclear age may have accelerated the mutation process. Individuals with extraordinary abilities may already be among us. Thank you very much."**

Joanna knew Charles had finished presentation, but she hadn't been listening to what he had said. It wasn't like she needed to; she had heard Charles's spiel on genetics what seemed like a hundred times. At this point, she practically had it memorized. She was currently more concerned about the CIA's reception of his presentation. She found it hard to believe that anyone, let alone the director of the CIA, would want to believe in mutated humans. He'd probably think the lot of them, Moira included, had gone crazy. Sure enough, her suspicions came true.

"Mac Taggert, you really think some crack-pot scientist is going to make me believe in sparkly dames and vanishing men. You've got yourself a one-way ticket back to the typing pool. This meeting is over."

Raven sitting opposite Charles and herself, looked over at her brother nervously. Moira looked exasperated, as if she had been in this exact situation before and the results were the same. Joanna took an opportunity to look at Charles as well, and she saw an idea forming behind his electric-blue eyes. She didn't need to be a telepath to figure out what the said idea was either.

_For God's sake Charles, don't do this,_ she thought. _They'll lock us away or something, until they can figure out what to make of our abilities. By the time they let us out, it may be too late to stop this Sebastian Shaw, character._

Charles looked back at her. _It's a chance we may have to take, love. If we can convince the CIA that mutants really do exist, they may start taking this matter a little more seriously._

Joanna sighed. _And if they don't Charles? What if they arrest us instead? Is that also a chance you're willing to-_.

Joanna's stream of communication stopped abruptly as he opened his mouth. "Agent Mac Taggert, please sit down. I really didn't expect you to believe me given that all you could think about during my presentation was what sort of pie they were serving in the commissary. It's apple-pecan." He directed his gaze toward Moira, who was staring at him, in shock. "I haven't been entirely honest with you love, I'm sorry. You see one of the many spectacular things my mutation allows me to do is that I can read your mind."

Right then and there, Joanna wanted to vanish from sight and walk-**no run**-out of the room as fast as she could. She could to do it, but it would simply ruin the gravity behind Charles statement. Unfortunately she was a hopeless fan of the power in words. Her thoughts were interrupted again as Charles said something about Jupiter missiles in Turkey. That didn't sound good, both for the people of Turkey (maybe the world) and themselves. The CIA would probably think they were spi-.

"He's a goddamn spy! You brought a goddamn spy in here!"

At this point, Joanna was tired of her suspicions coming true. It wasn't like she could predict the bloody future or anything, she just disappeared! As the room erupted into arguments and chaos, she really wished she was wrong for once. Hah! She had got something that would **never **happen. Okay next, she thought to herself, Raven is going to stand up and show everyone that she's blue. Just as the thought finished manifesting in her head, Raven stood up and turned into Agent Stryker and then... turned blue. Joanna was seriously asking Charles if the thought she had a secondary mutation. This was getting rather frightening.

"How's that for a magic trick?" Charles had a smug look on his face. He'd had managed to combat Stryker's earlier affront effectively**. Or, not.**

"I want them out of here," stated the CIA director. "And locked down until I can figure out what to do."

Joanna gave Charles her best "I told you so" look as a man in the back of the room said something. He had remained oddly quiet until Raven turned blue. Suddenly, they were ushered out of the room. Apparently, they were going to the quiet man's facility. Joanna looked at Charles for the umpteenth time. It was...unlike him to give up so easily. He had always been a fighter.

"C'mon you two, we've got a long way to go," he stated looking rather aloof.

"Charles, I don't think the "facility" is that far."

"Right, right. Whatever you say." He obviously hadn't been listening to a word she said.

Joanna left Charles and caught up with Raven. "I don't think we're going to the off-site facility."

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Alright! More character interaction coming soon! A fictional penny for your thoughts?


	6. Chapter 6 Ad Mare Est

Another Chapter is up today! I apologize for the paragraph spacing. I don't EVER write stories (I just write essays), so the spacing ideal is very foreign to me. I am trying though, but please let me know if I'm failing horribly. Anyway, thanks for sticking with my story. There's a lot more to come! Hehe!

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The parking garage of the CIA facility was dark, but not entirely unpleasant. It had a nice "park your shiny new car here" feeling to it, Joanna thought. Her mood had substantially improved after well, she figured out they were not going to be held in lockdown at some random facility. Charles had apparently worked it all out with Moira on their trip to the garage. She was supposed to meet them on the third floor.

Sure enough, Moira pulled up in a standard black model car within a few minutes. The man who had offered to take them to his facility was hastily explaining to Charles that he couldn't take them anywhere else, without permission from upstairs.

"Would you like to see another magic trick?" the telepath had asked him.

"Okay."

"Get in the car." The man did so, sitting in the back with her and Raven.

As the five of them left the dark comforts of the parking garage, Moira began to explain the lead she had on Shaw. The coastguard had apparently tracked down a ship under the name of "The Caspertina," which was registered to none other than a Sebastian Shaw. They were going there now and perhaps Charles could be of some help. Seemed like a good enough plan to Joanna as it was now, but this Shaw character had to have more up his sleeve. A guy who was allegedly responsible for the disappearance of US Army Colonel Hendry and had been avoiding the authorities ever since, simply would not let himself be spotted, would he?

"Sorry, but I just have to ask. What exactly can you do? That is if you are a mutant."

The car grew silent for a while. It took Joanna longer than it should have to register that he had been talking to her. Charles and Raven both gave her the same look. So much for pretending not to be a mutant, she thought.

"You should tell them, love, " Charles said breaking the silence. "Your abilities may be able to aid us in someway."

With that statement out there, Moira too glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

Joanna turned towards the man. "I can do...an assortment of things."

"Like?" Raven prodded her, even though she already knew what Joanna could do.

Taking a deep breath, Joanna vanished. The CIA executive leaned back in surprise and Moira nearly crashed the car out of shock. She reappeared a couple of seconds later.

Recovering just a bit, Moira asked her, "You can teleport, like the man with the red skin?"

Joanna shook her head. "No, I didn't go anywhere, you just couldn't see me. In essence, I was invisible."

"Amazing," stated the executive. "But, you said you could do an assortment of things."

Charles interjected, "The rest of Joanna's abilities aren't really things you'd want to do in a moving vehicle."

"Oh." Moira and the executive had spoken at the same time. They both looked a little disappointed.

"There is one other thing you can do in the car," Raven said looking encouragingly at Joanna.

"Raven, I don't know if that would be the best idea right now," Charles stated.

"It's fine," Joanna spoke suddenly. "I'll have to show them eventually, won't I? Raven, would you mind?"

"Not, at all," the blonde replied with a smile. And with that being said, Joanna stuck her hand right through Raven's head, then pulled it back the same way. Moira, who had stopped the car because they had reached the docks, whipped around in disbelief. Raven had grown to practically reach her eyes. Charles was chuckling to himself.

"What on God's green earth, did you just do?"

"Since he just loves explaining this one, I think I'll let Charles tell you." Joanna sunk back into her seat.

"Joanna's mutation also enables her to move through objects and organisms without actually making contact with their cellular structures. It's quite interesting actually, when you think about it-"

"Which we don't want to do," stated Raven simply. She obviously didn't want to sit through another of her brother's long-winded explanations.

"That is truly spectacular. You are really something else Miss," stated the executive. Joanna gave him a sad smile.

Moira was the first to really regain her composure. "Guys, we're here," she said. As we have been for the last five minutes, Joanna thought.

Once on the ship, everyone was feeling a lot more comfortable. Charles was satisfied that he had convinced Raven to stay ashore (for her own safety of course) and both Moira and the executive had finally recovered from the shock of Joanna's abilities. Now, the five of them stood on the deck of the ship, keeping an eye out for Shaw. Soon enough, they spotted him. The coast guard began blaring their warnings over the loudspeaker. Charles was attempting to reach Shaw's mind. He stepped back after a moment.

"I've lost Shaw. I-I've lost Shaw. There's something blocking me. This has never happened to me before. I think there's someone like me on that ship."

"Like you?" Moira asked.

"I'm sorry, a telepath. I can actually feel her inside my mind. I'm very sorry, but I don't think I'm going to be much help to you tonight. Whatever aid we can provide is going to have to come from Joanna's end." Moira looked at her, and Joanna nodded. She was prepared to take defensive actions, if it came to that.

Suddenly, one of the men on Shaw's boat began conjuring what looked to be miniature tornadoes from his hand.

"Oh, God, "Charles said.

"Jesus!" Moira looked very frustrated.

Charles looked back at Joanna. "If those things get near the ship-"

"I know, Charles. I'm ready." Joanna calmed her mind, preparing for the worst. Luckily, the small storms didn't reach the ship, but many of the small raft boats preceding it were completely washed out.

"Get inside!" Before any further harm could come upon the group, the executive ushered them inside the confines of the ship. As they headed below the deck, Charles stopped abruptly.

"Stopstopstopstopstop!" Charles winced in pain.

"Charles! Are you okay?" Moira looked concerned.

"There's someone else out there," Charles stated. Without uttering another word, he quickly ran back outside.

"Did you see anyone else out there?" Moira asked Joanna.

"No, but there is a possibility we missed them. It's fairly dark out, even with the artificial lighting."

Moira nodded and they headed in the direction Charles had left from. He was clinging on to the railing near the edge of the ship, peering down into the dark depths of the water.

"There." Charles pointed toward an anchor hovering menacingly above Shaw's vessel.

Joanna looked at Moira. There was either mutant in the water or Shaw had a magical anchor. As far as she was concerned, both options were equally possible. The said anchor smashed through the ship, leaving debris and destruction in its wake. The four of them watched in awe.

"LET GO!" Charles yelled as loud as he could. Joanna gazed over the railings, but she still couldn't see anyone out there. It was simply too dark. Charles however, wasn't ready to give up.

"YOU HAVE TO LET HIM GO!" He turned back towards Moira. "There's someone in the water. You have to help. " LET GO! YOU HAVE TO LET HIM GO!" Moira gave Charles a helpless look. She couldn't see anyone out there either. Within seconds, Charles had raced to a break in the railing and thrown off his coat.

"Wait! Charles! Don't do this!" Moira yelled after him. She looked at the executive. "We have to stop him before-"

Joanna cut her off. "It's alright. He was on the swim team back in boarding school. Charles will be fine." Moira gave her a worried look and hurried to the edge where Charles had jumped off.

"WE'RE HERE!" Charles yelled not long after.

Joanna still couldn't see him or the stranger in the water, but the coastguard was attempting to pull the two of them back up. "Do you have any blankets on this ship?" She asked a nearby guard. He nodded.

"Good. Get two please." The man gave another nodded and abruptly left.

Minutes later he emerged with the blankets, handing them both to Joanna. She thanked the man and ran to where Moira and the executive were standing. Somehow, the government operatives were able to get both Charles and whomever he had successfully attempted to save on the ship, alive.

"Here" Joanna handed Charles and the man beside him each a blanket. While Charles nodded at her, the other man just stared. Unsure of how to react really, she gave him a small smile. He couldn't be that bad; he was trying to stop (okay kill) Shaw too. It was one of those "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" situations. Not wanting to make thing more awkward for the man, she turned back to Charles. "Enjoy your swim?"

"Yes. It was quite lovely actually. There's nothing like a dip in freezing waters at night. Oh! And this is Erik, I just happened to run into him under water."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Erik," Moira said after a while. Charles's sarcasm obviously didn't sit very well with her. "We're hoping you can help us in our investigation of Shaw." Erik stared at her too.

"Well. I guess we should be heading back to base." Moira turned toward the CIA executive. "Is is too late to visit your facility?"

* * *

How'd I do?

I really tried to make Moira stay in character while expressing a certain degree of concern for Charles. The attraction between those two is obvious (especially in the comics). I also tried to provide an explanation for why Raven wasn't on the boat. Whenever I watch the movie, I'm always like: WTF? Where'd she go? Eventually, the idea came to me that Charles was just being his over protective big brother self and wouldn't let her come.

On a different note, thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated.


	7. Chapter 7 Obviam Hank

Alrighty! New Chapter. I tried to work some humor into this one. Also, I attempted to portray the logical side of Erik, because remember he does have genius level intellect. Sorry, if that seems a bit out of character though. The first class (not really) x-men are on their way to recruiting new members via cerebro after this!

Like I always say, enjoy!

* * *

"Maybe we'll find someone who can fly! Or maybe someone who can kill people with their eyes? What about someone who can move things with their mind? Wouldn't that be cool?"

Raven looked expectantly at Charles. Ever since they had found Shaw, his "associates," and Erik, Raven and her brother were filled with a new zeal to discover more members of their mutant race. Through the duration of the 30-something-minute car drive, they had been eagerly discussing possible mutations.

"Raven, you're talking about a telekinetic. And yes, if we're lucky maybe we'll be able to get all sorts of mutants to help us," Charles answered instead from the from seat.

"More help certainly couldn't hurt our efforts," Joanna added.

"_If_, we _were _able to recruit more mutants, would the CIA be willing to house them?"

The car fell silent. Erik seemed to have regained his voice, or maybe he just hadn't been using it. Anyway, it was the first time he had spoken in the presence of anyone in the car, other than Charles.

"Seeing as we do have a definite lead now, I think the director afford us certain...privileges. If we manage to find others like you all, willing to help, I'm sure they'll be able to stay at the facility."

"Good answer, Moira," said Charles encouragingly.

He and Moira sat in the front seat, while Joanna sat sandwiched between Erik and Raven in the back. The CIA executive who had been with them and gone to talk to his superiors and promised to meet them back at the base.

"Hm." Unlike Charles, Erik didn't seem satisfied with her answer.

Silence fell again.

Charles never the shy one, took the opportunity to ask Joanna if she would mind getting his notebook from the back. Reluctantly, she nodded and leant back, until only the lower half of her body was visible through the leather seat. Erik didn't say anything, but his eyes widened slightly in shock. Seconds later, she re- emerged, notebook in hand. As she handed it to Charles, Raven opened her mouth.

"What would happen if you got stuck that way? You know half way between the seat and the the back. I've always wondered that. Wouldn't it be painful?" It was silent for a third time. Suddenly everyone in the car, Erik included, burst out laughing.

"Why? Do you want me to get stuck in that position?"

"No! It was a serious question."

"Sure it was."

Just as Raven was about to retort, they reached the base. The five of them all exited the car at once, blinking in the bright afternoon sunlight. Their executive friend was waiting for them.

"Welcome to my facility. My mission has been to investigate the application of paranormal powers for military defense," the man stated proudly.

"Or offense," Erik added. He still seemed reluctant to trust the CIA agents, Moira and the executive both.

The executive unlike Moira, was quick to recover. "This guy, Shaw, Schmidt, whatever you wanna call him, is working with the Russians. We might need your help to stop him."

Charles on the other hand was much more receptive to the idea. "Marvelous. Are we to be the CIA's new mutant division, yes?"

"Something like that," the man replied.

Raven smiled. Joanna could already tell she liked the idea of being a CIA operative.

The executive lead them inside the large building and over to a large structural representation of a plane. The five of them stared for a moment, trying to imagine what it would actually look like on a runway.

"It's supersonic," came a voice directly ahead of them. A man who looked to be a little older than Raven wearing a labcoat, stepped out from the shadows. "The most advanced plane ever built. You should see it in real life. It's incredible."

"Hank, These are the special new recruits I was telling you about, the executive stated. "This is Hank McCoy, one of our most talented young researchers."

The man had barely finished speaking and Charles was already walking over to Hank with a huge smile on his face. Joanna knew what that smile meant. It meant Hank, was a mutant.

"How wonderful! Another mutant already here." He shook Hank's hand excitedly. Then turning towards the executive: "Why didn't you say?"

"Say what?" The poor man looked utterly confused.

"Because you don't know," Charles muttered under his breath. "I am so sorry. Terribly, sorry."

The executive walked toward the young researcher. "Hank?"

"Y-you didn't ask so, I didn't tell," he said, trying to shrug it off.

"So you're mutation is what? You're super smart?" Ah, Raven, ever the curious one.

"I'll say," Charles responded with a smile. "Hank here, graduated from Harvard at the age fifteen.

The young man looked downward, downward at his feet. "I wish, that's all it was," he said sadly.

"It's alright you're among friends. You can show off," Charles stated. Raven and Moira looked at him curiously.

Hank kicked off his shoes and subsequently removed his socks, revealing a large pair of feet with toes so long they could be fingers. Charles laughed with glee and Raven's smile grew even larger. Despite herself, Joanna felt the beginnings of a smile growing on her face.

Hank looked around at them nervously.

"Sorry." He motioned for the four of them to move aside and headed toward the hanging model plane.

"What more could he possibly do?" asked Moira.

"Oh, I think Hank here will surprise you," Charles responded, with a large grin never leaving his face.

Proving Charles correct nearly the second the words left his mouth, Hank did a mid-air flip and landed upside down, hanging on to the plane with nothing but his feet.

Raven walked up to him, as if they were drawn together magnetically.

"You're amazing."

"Really?"

"Look at that Charles. Raven's love life just got more interesting than yours," Joanna whispered to the telepath, not wanting to ruin the moment between the two young mutants.

"Yes, well as soon as we find this Sebastian Shaw and head home, we'll see if that statement holds true."

"I hate to break it to you, but catching international criminals doesn't exactly take hours or days, it takes months to years."

The CIA executive, suddenly aware of Joanna and Charles' conversation, nodded in agreement.

"We'll see. After all, how many government organizations have teams of super powered mutants working for them? To put it flatly of course."

Poor, poor optimistic Charles.

* * *

Any thoughts and/ or suggestions for future chapters? They are always appreciated. ;)


	8. Chapter 8 Salve vel Vale?

Another update today! It may be one of the only one's in a while. Just keep that in mind.

Anyway, I was feeling rather inspired and was able to whip this out too. I hope it isn't too bad?

Also, I was thinking, is anyone wondering what Joanna looks like? I've drawn a couple of pictures and could post one if anyone wanted to see...

So...Read it and tell me what you think?

* * *

Joanna stared at the clock on the adjacent wall. The ticking sound it made seemed endless. She was at the height of her boredom.

It was 11:35 in the evening and absolutely no one she had recently become acquainted with or Charles and Raven were anywhere to be found. She felt all alone in the giant facility. Leaning back into the metal chair she was sitting on, she closed her eyes. The least she could do right now, was conserve energy. It was so cold here.

Just as Joanna was about to drift into peaceful repose, a loud voice awoke her.

"Joanna!"

"Charles?" she replied groggily, staring at the man now in front of her.

"I've been calling you for nearly fifteen minutes now and you obviously couldn't be bothered to answer. I was about to resort to telepathy. This is in no way time to be falling asleep!"

"What world threatening event possibly could have happened in the span of fifteen minutes? Nothing was happening the last time I checked."

"Well something is happening now. Come on." Charles quickly exited the room.

Whatever it was, it had to be important. Otherwise, Charles would have just dealt with it himself. Joanna stretched her arms up in the air as she got up. Her back and legs were stiff. She had definitely been sitting for too long. Looking reluctantly at her former resting place, Joanna gave her neck one last tilt to the left and headed the way Charles had left.

"Hey! Are you at least going to tell me what what's going on?" Joanna cried as she neared Charles.

"Ah, yes. That would be helpful wouldn't it?"

"It would." The brunette looked at him expectantly.

"It's Erik. He's planning to leave."

"Are we going to stop him?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what?"

"If he leaves, he'll be putting his life in danger and there won't be anyone to help him. The likelihood he would be killed by Shaw or one of his "associates" would probably double, if not triple, considering they're on their guard now. It's imperative, both for his sake and our own, that we convince him to stay."

"But, the decision will be his..."

"Yes."

The two had reached the building's entrance. Charles pushed open the doors.

"I don't see him. Are we too late?"

"No, he's not here yet. Get on the other side of the doors."

Joanna nodded and did as she was told. Within a couple of seconds, the front doors burst open. Erik walked out, leather briefcase in hand. The infallible accuracy of a telepath on display, yet again.

"From what I know about you I'm surprised you managed to stay this long." Charles, as always, was the first to speak.

Erik whipped around. He clearly hadn't been expecting company.

"What do you know about me?"

Joanna looked at Erik analytically.

"By now, he probably know everything about you there is to know. You've given him more than enough time to read your thoughts," she said.

"Then _he _knows to stay out of my head."

"I'm sorry Erik, but I've seen what Shaw did to you. I've felt your agony. I can help you. _We _can help you." Charles sounded remorseful.

"I don't need your help. Any of your help."

"Don't kid yourself. You needed our help last night. It's not just this team you're walking away from."

Joanna took a careful step towards Erik.

"You have the chance to be a part of something much bigger than yourself, something much bigger than all of us.

"We won't stop you from leaving," Charles said. "I could, but I won't."

With that remark, Charles headed inside. He genuinely hoped their words had been enough to convince Erik to stay. The man would most definitely end up getting himself killed.

It was just Erik and Joanna now.

"Shaw's got friends. You could do with some."

She turned and headed back toward the inside of the facility, meeting Charles by the doorway. Some part of her wanted to look back at Erik, but once again, it would ruin the gravity of Charles' well said words.

"What now?" she sincerely hoped her telepathic friend had a plan.

"We get coffee. Like you said, the decision will be up to him."

She sighed. Charles wasn't easily phased and by the looks of it, Erik's departure would be no exception. He was so bothered just a few minutes ago and now it was like Erik never existed.

Following Charles back to the kitchen area, Joanna decided she wasn't going to press him. Charles' spirit was keeping their small movement alive and talking about failures (like what just happened) would only discourage him. That was the last thing they needed right now.

"Black?"

Joanna nodded, even though he already knew the answer. Charles was humming away as he prepared the drink. He would make an excellent housewife, she thought stifling a laugh.

Charles frowned. He had obviously read her thoughts.

"Oh, don't take it as an insult. Take it as a compliment."

"Whatever you say, love. Sugar?"

"Please."

He handed her a mug. Charles still had a smile on his face.

"You know, my spirit is the last thing you need to be worrying about."

Joanna allowed herself to relax, just a bit. Her old friend hadn't changed in years.

"Thanks. That's good to hear. I guess I'm just anxious. I mean, what if this this entire thing falls through and the government decides to-"

"Joanna."

Charles had stopped her mid-rant.

"Have a little faith."

He winked at her and headed off to wherever he was going. She was alone again.

Joanna looked at the mug in front of her, it felt strangely uninviting. In fact the whole room began to get rather stuffy. It was too hot in here.

She placed the mug on the table and ran to the front doors of the building. She had to get out.

Pushing them open, she collapsed on the concrete outside. The fresh air felt cooling.

She heaved herself up and headed to a nearby wall. She leaned against it until she was sitting. These waves of nausea weren't wholly uncommon for her, they just hadn't occurred recently. She wasn't used to the feeling anymore.

"Planning on running away?"

Joanna stared warily in the direction of t0he voice. What she saw nearly convinced her she was delusional.

"Erik?"

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"No, it's just...You stayed...and I thought..." Joanna's sentences were unintelligible.

"What can I say? You changed my mind."

She gave him a meek smile.

He stooped down to sit by her. They were both quiet for a while.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hm."

"Why are you doing this? I mean Charles is all about saving the world and Raven will do pretty much anything her brother does, but what about you? You don't seem to care about the CIA or the world very much."

"Why are _you_ doing this?"

"You know that was the last thing I was hoping you'd say." Joanna felt her eyelids beginning to droop. She really was tired.

Erik looked at the woman sitting beside him. As far as he knew, she didn't know anything about him. Her head silently fell forwards.

"Because he killed my mother."

She hadn't heard him. Her mind was had drifted off to the planes of sleep long before he had spoken.

It was Erik's turn to sigh.

* * *

Earlier in the morning, Joanna woke up and found herself on a couch, a couch inside the facility. Her memories of the previous were fuzzy, but she remembered being outside and...Erik. He had come back hadn't he? Or did she just dream that up?

Shaking her head, she began to get up, suddenly aware of the foreign weight on her body. She looked down to see...a leather jacket draped over her. Specifically, Erik's leather jacket.

* * *

Surprised? I tried to make the ending a little mysterious there.

In case anyone is wondering, Charles sometimes asks Joanna questions instead of just reading her mind because they have a sort of agreement, which will be explained later.

So, did you like the chapter?


	9. Chapter 9 Voca me Angelus

My deepest apologies for the wait! Unfortunately, this WILL be the last update until about Christmas. So please, enjoy it. As always though, if you have any comments/ suggestions for the story feel free to message me! I'll reply ASAP. All comments are deeply appreciated.

There's some flash back action in this chapter, if you wanted to know more about Jo's past.

* * *

Come morning, Joanna and Charles had a meeting with the executive. He said he wanted to show them some sort of transformed radar. It would apparently enhance Charles' telepathic powers and help them find other mutants. Joanna failed to see how some giant golf ball could detect other mutants, but if Charles was willing to take a chance, she was too.

"What if they don't want to be found by you?"

A masculine voice had interrupted the executive's monologue. Joanna and Charles quickly turned to the door. '

"Erik!" Charles sounded surprised. "You decided to stay."

Erik cast them both a barely detectable smile, before continuing.

"If a new species is being discovered, it should be by its own kind. Charles, Joanna, and I find the mutants. No suits."

"First of all that's my machine out there. Second of all, much more importantly this is Charles' decision. Charles is fine with the CIA being involved. Isn't that right?"

Charles looked at Erik.

Erik looked at Charles.

They were having a telepathic conversation.

"No, I'm sorry, but...I'm with Erik. We'll find them alone," Charles finally said.

"Surely you, Ms. Burke, don't agree?" The man looked at Joanna hopefully.

"To be honest, I'm not sure I mind. But, I'm afraid I've been overruled. Two against one."

The executive sighed.

"What if I say no?"

"Then good luck using your installation without me."

Charles looked confident.

Sure enough, the man made it happen and their entourage was gathered at the heart of the satellite in minutes.

"Do you think it's gonna work?" Raven moved to stand next to Joanna.

"It's going to screw up Charles' brain cells and ultimately end up killing him. Of course I think it's going to work. After all, Hank built it."

As soon as the word "Hank" left Joanna's mouth, a pink blush crept onto Raven's cheeks. Something told her that Hank and Charles weren't going to be bosom buddies for long.

"The electrodes connect Charles to the transmitter on the roof. When he picks up a mutant, his brain sends a signal through a relay. Then, the coordinates of their location are printed out here," Hank stated.

Unlike Charles he looked rather nervous. Speaking of Charles, the man had already connected himself to the machine and was awaiting Hank to switch it on. Joanna already knew the prospect of finding new mutants made him more excited than he cared to put into words.

"What an adorable lab rat you make, Charles." Erik smirked at Charles, who at that point was raring to go.

"Don't spoil this for me, Erik."

"I've been a lab rat. I know one when I see one."

Hank quickly broke the tension by adjusting some wires connected to Charles' head.

"Are you sure we can't shave your head?"

"I think it's a good idea," Raven added.

"Don't touch my hair," the telepath replied a bit more seriously than before.

Hank gave a small shake of his head and hurried off the start the contraption.

Charles closed his eyes.

Joanna suddenly felt sick. Charles was one of her oldest friends. What if...something actually happened to him?

The room darkened and the panels in front of Hank lit up. Charles gave gasp of pain and grabbed the rails. Both Raven and Joanna's eyes went wide. The wave of nausea crept up upon Joanna again. She felt helpless. Just ask she was about to make a run for it, Hank broked the agonizing silence.

"It's working!"

Charles smiled and Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was alright.

Moments later, Charles was disconnected from the machine and the five of the were looking over the list of mutants. The machine had picked up at least five mutants in one go.

"Should we start recruiting tomorrow?" Hank sounded nervous again.

"I don't know about you lot, but I can't think of a better time to start than now," Charles was nowhere near exhausted from using the machine.

Erik agreed and Joanna found herself outvoted again. She wasn't sure that she wanted to be recruiting mutants at all. However, she wasn't the one making the decisions here. It was about sixty-percent Charles, forty-percent Erik, and zero-percent Joanna.

Soon enough, the two people with the power to make decisions decided. Charles, Erik, and Joanna were to leave immediately to pick up the first mutant. For some reason, they didn't want to bring along Hank and Raven.

The car ride to where the first mutant resided was enjoyable. Charles and Erik talked casually and Joanna was more than content to stare out the window. She was starting to think the whole "recruiting" thing wasn't going to be so bad...until they stopped in front of a strip club. So that's why they didn't bring Hank and Raven.

"Ready?" Charles turned around from the front street and stared at his companions.

Erik nodded and was about to open the door when Joanna spoke.

"Maybe you two would be better off without me on this one?"

"Now, now love. This no time to be getting cold feet," Charles looked at her mockingly.

"Didn't you say something about being a part of something bigger than all of us?" Yet another smirk from Erik. What did she do to him? _Oh right, she still had his jacket._

"I will be a part of something; just not right now." Her looked clearly stated that nothing would change her mind.

Both men looked at each and shrugged. It was obvious that she'd being having a little "chat" with Charles later.

"Wait here then. We'll be back, hopefully with the new mutant, and then go find a diner to lunch at. Sound good?"

Joanna gave her friend a meek nod and leaned back into the plush leather seats.

Both Charles and Erik left the car and headed into the building. It was just Joanna and the driver now.

"Would you like some music, miss? Your two friends were talking earlier and I didn't think there'd be much place for it."

"Yes, please. Believe me, you don't know how wonderful that sounds right now."

Charles and Erik were discussing the future of mutant-kind, quite animatedly, and Joanna didn't want to think about it. Music was just the thing she needed to distract her. The man nodded and flicked on the radio. A cheery song about surfing in America came on and Joanna instantly felt some of her anxiousness subside.

She wasn't sure why she hadn't gone to the strip club with them. She wasn't usually so "boring" as Raven would put it. Something just...felt wrong about that particular club. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it just felt wrong.

That's when it hit her. She had been there before.

_June 17, 1960_

_"Get dressed." _

_Joanna looked up from her book. _

_"You're back early."_

_"The meeting ended. The bill is going to be in talks for a couple years, but it'll pass. Whether it's during Eisenhower's presidency or not."_

_"How can you be so sure?"_

_"I told you to get dressed, didn't I? _

_Joanna desperately wanted to press for more answers, but it was obvious she wasn't going to get any. She gracefully pulled herself off the large leather couch and headed toward the closet. _

_"I'm assuming the dress code will be formal?_

_"Hm."_

_The whole "get dressed, we're going somewhere" routine was growing on her. She scanned over her vast closet knowing that she was gifted with but a few minutes to decide what to wear. She eventually choose a gold number, with formally acceptable pleating. Dressing for the public eye was never easy, but having to wardrobe to help you pull it off was another thing in itself._

_By the time she re-emerged from her closet, he had a cup of coffee and the morning paper in hand. _

"_You didn't read it in the office?"_

"_I didn't have time. There was a meeting. Are you ready yet?"_

"_Not quite."_

_He nodded and went back to the paper. For a senator he was fairly uninteresting, but perhaps all people over the age of thirty were like him. Come home, drink coffee, read the paper, and go to sleep. That was his daily routine. _

_Adding the finishing touches to her make up, Joanna could hear the phone ring._

_"Would you mind getting that?"_

_She could hear him pick up the device in the adjacent room. There were a few "I sees" given before he hung up._

_"The car is here. We're going."_

_"Right." _

_She shoved her feet into a pair of heels and ran toward the door of the apartment. She had to decided to stay in the city this week._

_He opened the door and the two headed down stairs. As he has stated, a car was waiting for them outside. The driver ran up to open the door._

_He just entered the car, while Joanna gave the driver a polite smile. They two sat in silence as he closed his eyes. His job required him to work long, unexpected hours, regardless of his sleeping needs. A few minutes elapsed before he spoke again. _

_"Have you heard from Logan recently?"_

_Joanna was surprised, to say the least. Logan and he weren't on the best of terms. _

_"Not recently, but I feel he won't be too interested in this...particular project."_

_"I'm don't require anything that man has to offer when it comes to the bill. The CIA has a contract for him. If he wants it, that is."_

_"I'll keep that in mind the next he contacts me." _

_It was a strange statement especially from him. Logan had made it clear he was done with government affairs a long time ago._

_The car stopped abruptly. The driver got out to open the door and held out his hand for her to take. Joanna surveyed her surroundings._

_"We're going to discuss civil rights at a strip club?" _

_"It wasn't my personal choice."_

The car door opening served as a rude awakening from her pseudo-daydream. Charles and Erik had returned, the new mutant with them.

"Pleasant sit, love? Did you ponder your life?"

Joanna stated unblinkingly at the telepath. It was a while before she recovered enough to answer.

"Err...yes. It was very enlightening."

"Good to hear."

He turned to the mutant standing beside Erik.

"Ms. Salvatore, this is Joanna Burke. A good friend of Mr. Lensherr and myself."

The dark haired woman gave Joanna a small smile and stuck out her hand.

"Call me Angel_." _

* * *

_Any guesses on who "he" is? I ADORE historical fiction so do expect some more civil rights issues to be popping up later!_

_Ideas? Comments? Love it? Hate it? Please tell me._


End file.
